Banana walnut bread

[Norcalbaker59]

I had some bananas that I needed to use up so I made banana bread on Sunday. I sliced it up and gave it to my neighbor for his kid’s school lunch.

I made this recipe up several years ago. I’ll admit it’s more like a cake because well banana bread is really cake baked in a loaf pan. I add spices and I use a different mixing method so maybe this really isn’t banana bread at all. But it looks like banana bread.

Oh, and there is a fussy little step with microwaving bananas. But that wasn’t my doing. That was in a recipe that
America’s Test Kitchen developed. Banana bread is notorious for being gooey. And nobody likes gooey banana bread. So ATK drained the water out of the bananas, reduced the liquid, then added it back to the bananas to create a better texture without compromising the banana flavor. So I copied that technique.


So here’s my banana cake/banana bread with the added step of ATK Banana technique.

I hope I didn’t miss any steps because I normally don’t write things down in recipe form everything is written in Baker’s percentages with a couple of side notes


Cate’s Banana Walnut Bread

• 125g walnuts, lightly toasted roughly chopped
• 275g bananas
• 225g All purpose flour*
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt.^
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 100g sugar
• 100g light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, 68°F (20°C)
• 75ml safflower oil
• 50g full fat sour cream, 60°F (20°C)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

*I use is an all purpose flour with 11.5% protein, unmalted


^ I use Diamond brand salt which is less salty due to the size of its granules; if using another brand reduce the amount of salt by half.


Equipment

Whisk
Mesh strainer
Stand mixer or handmixer
9” x 5” loaf pan or 12” x 4” tea loaf pan


Instructions


Adjust rack to center of the oven

Preheat oven 335°F (168°C))

Grease and line loaf with parchment paper.


Thoroughly whisk, then sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves set-aside


Lightly mash bananas in microwavable bowl.

Microwave 30 seconds

Stir bananas gently

Microwave additional 45 seconds

Transfer bananas to mesh strainer that is placed over the bowl.

Drain bananas 15 minutes to remove excess liquid. Reserve liquid and heat in a saucepan on the stovetop until it’s reduced to a couple of tablespoons. Cool then mix it back into the mashed banana.


With the whisk attachment on a stand mixer or with a handmixer, beat the sugars and eggs for 4 minutes until the egg mixture is thick and creamy.


Whisk in oil, sour cream, and vanilla

Lightly sprinkle the flour over the egg and sugar mixture and fold it in to just incorporate.


Fold in the mashed banana and walnuts.


Fill the loaf pan and bake for 30 mins, then place a thin sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the loaf pan. Do not secure the foil just place it over at the loaf pan.


Continue baking until the internal temperature of The banana bread reaches 205°F - 210°F (96°C-98°C). In my oven it takes approximately 65 - 70 minutes to reach this internal temperature.

Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes in the loaf pan. Then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of loaf. Cool completely before slicing.

Right out of the oven. The bread should not be overly brown and should crack on top

Sides and bottom will be a bit darker than the top

The crumb should have uniform texture with no glummy or gooey clumps

 

[Becky]

That looks really delicious! I haven't made banana bread in a long time. Ian can't eat much banana so we don't tend to have them in the house, and I only really used to make banana bread when I had over-ripe bananas to use up.

Do you ever put chocolate in your banana bread? I love chopped dark chocolate in mine, mmmmm

 

[Norcalbaker59]

That looks really delicious! I haven't made banana bread in a long time. Ian can't eat much banana so we don't tend to have them in the house, and I only really used to make banana bread when I had over-ripe bananas to use up.

Do you ever put chocolate in your banana bread? I love chopped dark chocolate in mine, mmmmm

No I’ve never thought to put chocolate in my banana bread. But I’ll have to give that a try the next time I make banana bread. I always have chocolate in the pantry. I don’t make it too often either. Like you it’s when I have that are getting a bit over ripe bananas. Usually I go through my bananas pretty quickly though because I make smoothies most mornings.

But for the last week I’ve been on a tear, doing my annual spring cleaning. So I’ve been off my usual morning schedule. It’s taking me a bit longer this year since I’ve become quite the hoarder of all baking gadgets. Normally I stick to the traditional baking tools. I don’t know what’s gotten into me but this past year I’ve been buying these ridiculous gadgets like ceramic pie weight beads; stainless steal chain of pie weight beads. I I bought some really ridiculous little gadgets I don’t know what I was thinking. And the pie tins! 5 standard glass; 5 deep dish glass. 1 ceramic. 12 commercial grade aluminum. I avoided counting the miniature tartlets molds since I already know there’s more than I need. So I’m giving some of my pie tins and tartlet molds my brother and sister.

People also keep giving me baking tins. I have boxes of decorative tins made of really dark metals that I don’t use. Since so many of these tools and tins are in perfectly good condition, some are in fact brand new, I am donating them to a charity.

 

[Becky]

No I’ve never thought to put chocolate in my banana bread. But I’ll have to give that a try the next time I make banana bread. I always have chocolate in the pantry. I don’t make it too often either. Like you it’s when I have that are getting a bit over ripe bananas. Usually I go through my bananas pretty quickly though because I make smoothies most mornings.

But for the last week I’ve been on a tear, doing my annual spring cleaning. So I’ve been off my usual morning schedule. It’s taking me a bit longer this year since I’ve become quite the hoarder of all baking gadgets. Normally I stick to the traditional baking tools. I don’t know what’s gotten into me but this past year I’ve been buying these ridiculous gadgets like ceramic pie weight beads; stainless steal chain of pie weight beads. I I bought some really ridiculous little gadgets I don’t know what I was thinking. And the pie tins! 5 standard glass; 5 deep dish glass. 1 ceramic. 12 commercial grade aluminum. I avoided counting the miniature tartlets molds since I already know there’s more than I need. So I’m giving some of my pie tins and tartlet molds my brother and sister.

People also keep giving me baking tins. I have boxes of decorative tins made of really dark metals that I don’t use. Since so many of these tools and tins are in perfectly good condition, some are in fact brand new, I am donating them to a charity.

I need to do a spring clean too, it's just a problem finding the time. I need to just make a start, however small, and go from there I guess.

That's a great idea to give away the bakeware that you don't use, I'm sure they will go to a good home